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Monday, December 3, 2007

I made chocolate chip cookies today.Clay dumped sugar all over the counter.

Brooklyn got into Lexi's "dress-up" lipstick.She proceeded to wash her hands off in the toilet.The person who had used the toilet last, neglected to flush.

I did eight loads of laundry.Clay dumped two of them on the floor by the back door.My daughter proceeded to come in the house and step on the clean laundry.

Clay climbed up and grabbed his advent calendar off the top of the fridge and proceeded to eat chocolate. A lot of chocolate.According to his calendar, it's now December 21st.

Clay got into Jackson's medication patches. He cut open the packet, peeled the backing off the patch and stuck it to a chair.At least the chair won't be hyper today.

I got a call from the school nurse. She has my number on speed dial. She said that Lexi had a stomachache. I had my doubts about the validity of said stomachache, but decided to pick her up from school just in case she was really sick.Before I got there, she threw up all over the nurse's office. At least I know she wasn't faking it.Like clockwork, the call came in 10 minutes after I'd put Brooklyn down for her nap.

This morning, Clayton and Brooklyn ate an entire pack of Tic Tacs that they'd swiped from my purse.Their breath is still minty fresh.

Clay and Brooklyn grabbed some graham crackers and ate them while sitting atop Lexi's bed.I had just changed the sheets on her bed.Her sheets are now crunchy.

This, my friends, is why no comments were approved until tonight when my husband got home from work. I was too afraid to turn my back on them!

This all happened while I was doing my regular Monday cleaning. I can't imagine what they would've gotten into had I been on the computer.

Here's a picture of cutie-pie Julian and a brief update from his mom, Mimi...

"Quick update... Julian hasn't been well . His left leg is acting up ,he wont walk on it , or just on his tip toe . He tires easy and needs to rest a lot . He still cracks a smile and shows how big his muscles are!!"

Okay, you win - you're day was worse than mine. Doesn't it feel after a while as though you've had a lobotomy? I mean, I sort of have to turn your brain off in order not to freak out over these things, you know? I just sort of go through my day, carefully not reacting to situations that, in my pre-mom days, would have driven me crazy.

I have been feeling the same way today...and found an appropriate way to describe it. I think I need to post a sign on my front door that says "Second Law of Thermodynamics enforced strictly on these premises!"

Okay, now that I've identified myself as a geek (a chemical engineer to be exact), I am a mom of three...ages 2, 2 and 7 months (twins and a baby). And this was the best definition I could come up with for the second law:

Second law of thermodynamics: deltaS = change in entropy. deltaS must be greater than or equal to zero for all natural processes; entropy increases for all natural processes.

"Entropy" is defined as a measure of unusable energy within a closed or isolated system. As usable energy decreases and unusable energy increases, "entropy" increases. Entropy is also a gauge of randomness or chaos within a closed system. As usable energy is irretrievably lost, disorganization, randomness and chaos increase. (all-about-science.org/second-law-of-thermodynamics.htm)

I especially like the part about "usable energy is irretrievably lost" and this leads to "disorganization, randomness and increased chaos". That is totally my life.

You're an inspiration...I check in whenever I get a chance (about once a week) and I love your stories. Makes me look forward (ha!) to what is to come! :)

AHAHHAHHAHHAAAAAA. Good lord this sounds like a day in my house. I'm due with my 5th any time now and my oldest JUST turned 7. I sooooo know where you're coming from. Remember, revenge is best served cold... just embarrass the heck out of them one day. lmao.

Gotta love those days. And if you don't laugh, you'll scream until you cry.

The fiascos at my home today weren't quite so messy as the ones at yours!

Today my son spilled sugar or salt (not sure which) on the kitchen floor. I asked him to sweep it up. After repeated attempt to get him to do it (he's 4 3/4 years old), he disappeared for a while. I asked him if it was done. His response: "Sure." I guess he thought if it wasn't the word yes, he wasn't lying!

I had someone tell me how perfect my children were last night. I laughed. He obviously hasn't had a chance to be around them very much.

OMG you had one wild Monday. Mine started off today just as bad. Everybody decided to wet the bed except for my oldest. *sigh* I feel your pain. I hope the rest of your week is better. That pic of Julian is just to cute btw.Take care,~Kristy

I love hearing about other peoples' miserable days - it makes me feel sooo much better. I hope they worn themselves out of naughtiness and the rest of the month goes beautifully smooth - goodness knows it sounds like they've used up a month's worth of moments today!

And Julian - they are huge muscles - especially the ones on your face that make that smile - beautiful.

Dawn, I read your blog every morning while I have a cup of coffee. I had to comment today because your life sounds like mine some days! I had 3 kids in 3 years ( no twins) and they are now 2,3,& 4. Keeping up with them is sometimes and impossible task, and to try and get anything done, yeah right! However, I do not know how you did 8 loads of wash in one day- I can not seem to get past 4 without a disaster. Thanks for you laughs, you blog makes me feel less alone!

I thought I HAD a rough Monday! Compared to your day mine was a walk in the park! (My computer died. Now I am forced to use my laptop.)

SO......be sure you (and anyone reading this) has the important stuff backed up. I did. Well, most of it anyway.

I sure hope all is better for everyone in your house and your Tuesday is much better.

Oh and now I thought of a question for you! With 6 kids- do you and the kids get a flu shot? If one gets it - don't you all get it?

And on a completely different subject - WHERE do you hide gifts for that many kids? I'm running out of places that I'll remember come 3 weeks. I did find things from last year that I hid and forgot to find so part of my shopping is done. :)

Hang in there - it could be worse, right?

OH and we are getting 2-4 more inches of snow today - starting this afternoon so since I have become your new weather warning system - consider this a warning! :)

It's nice to know I'm not the only mom who had a terrible Monday this week! I had one child who couldn't find his snow boots (left them at school), so I had to drive him to school, prompting a visit from the crossing guard while I was searching for the ice scraper (never found it) because the other two kids didn't know where he was. Then another child decided to ride home with a friend, prompting another call from the school when the crossing guard missed her and the three kids walking home didn't know where she was. Plus a friend and her three kids and her mother dropping in unannounced and a clingy baby that wouldn't be put down...I used to have good Mondays, and that was only one kid ago!

Sounds like your day went like my weekend. Our son woke up with fever on Thurs am, went to doctor on Fri am. Sinus infection. Youngest daughter has teary eye on Fri, Sat fever. Sunday, fevers for bro & sis all day. Older sister has diaherrea (spelling?)Sun pm and Mon am. Little sis still has fever, doctor says sinus infection. Brother is bouncing off the walls, ceiling, you name it, he's jumped off of it. It's nice to know we're normal. Blessings to you and Merry Christmas!

Dawn, What patches is your child on? My daughter is ADHD and is on the Daytrana patch...I am not sure if there is something else out there on the market or if this is the only patch. What side effects do you guys deal with. My daughter has a significant lack of appetite and she also seems irritable.

OMG! It's like you described my life with two toddlers! The only thing missing: husband who comes home and asks 1)Why can't he ever come to a clean house 2)What was I doing all day long and 3)Why do I let kids do whatever they want.

I highly recommend this CD. My oldest listened to it from the time she was born until she was 10 (she's now 11). My youngest (now 8) took the CD into class and her teacher plays it during DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time. She says her classmates are enjoying it and even the more active boys have started to like it.

i have SOOOOO much respect for you! the fact that you aren't screaming your head off 24/7, or a total drunk is awesome. i have 2 young boys (1,3) and that is enough for me. i can't imagine having 6. i read your blog all the time to help me realize what i have isn't that bad. you are such a great woman! thank you for sharing your lives with us. i can't wait for your book, it will be a must read!

Just love your blogs. And oh can I ever relate to the call from the nurses office. Same thing happen to my oldest. All I could say to nurse was "glad it happened here I just changed sheets" Keep up the great blogging

Oh Heavens... I've had So. Many. Days. like this one... it's just overwhelming sometimes, isn't it? Like the time I made the horrendous mistake of thinking I could leave the baby sleeping in his bouncy seat (on the floor, mind you, so he wouldn't roll off the table or some such) and the 2 yr old watching tv, while I loaded the dishwasher. Heaven forbid I do the dishes! Next thing I knew, my toddler had found a bowl of oatmeal from her un-eaten breakfast and dumped it in her brother's hair. And then decided he must be thirsty, and got the koolaid and dumped it on his face (this is when I realized something was wrong, because he started sputtering). Unbeknownst to me, until I got there, but he was also laying on 3 pacifiers that she had decided would be comfortable bedding. Seriously, how does all this happen in less than 5 minutes??? I don't know that I'll ever solve that mystery, but by golly I'll hold this story over her head for the next 98 years.

I have to consider myself lucky. My 3 kids were never extreme mischief makers, though they had their times. Now they're 11, 9 and 5 they don't make too many messes that they can't at least try to help clean up with me. (I did come downstairs this morning to find my 11 year old's piano teacher teaching him sitting in the midst of chinchilla bedding all over the floor. He was supposed to sweep it up last night after cleaning the cage.)

My friends daughter got into enough mischief (and still does) to write an entire book on. I told her to write it down because it was too outragious to be believable. Alas she didn't so at least you'll have your experiences down for posterities sake. I write my journal on my computer including all the fun/cute/embarasing things my kids do and say. It's so fun to go back and read it to them. They love it and they see how much I had to deal with when they were little.

Love your blog. Thanks for sharing your life with us and showing how us stay at home moms have one of the toughest, most valuable jobs out there.

At any given moment there is a child in the cabinet throwing all my Pyrex to shatter on the floor( I am now down t 3 peices out of nearly 25 or more)... a child in the bathroom playing in the water; toilet or sink(I prefer the sink, thank you very much!)... at least 2teenagers arguing and fighting and another one trying to break it up and getting yelled at in the process(there's often a slap or punch thrown in for good measure)... a child getting into the fridge and eating anything and everything he/she can get a hold of(and it is NEVER the carrots or other veggies that are GOOD FOR THEM!!)... my 2 yr old getting into the girls make-up or writing on himself with permanent marker; his colour of choice is usually red or purple...

Dawn. Never fear you are not the only one with evil doers in your household. My 2 youngest drive me mad at times. 2 weeks ago Noah age 4 cut Sawyers (3) hair to the point her had a bald spot in the top of his head. Then last week he cut it again this time in the front and it was more than I could bear. I gave Sawyer a buzz cut much to my hubbys dismay. I didnt tell him about the second hair cutting incident to save Noahs butt. I just said I couldnt stand the bald spot anymore. Noah also cut a wire to his little christmas tree in his room. and announced he needed a new one. I would tell ya it gets better but I wouldnt want to try and fool ya my older ones still add to my ever growing gray hair every day as well. My only hope is that as they move out it will get better but then again.........

What I love is that us Stay At Home Moms get to be a part of this. Seriously, I would hate to miss this stuff happening with my kids. I feel sorry for those working moms who don't get to experience the day-to-day joys and craziness that being a mom is all about.

You of course are familiar with the "toddler dance"...that crab-like, back-bending, gangling, stepping-over-and-around-toddlers-and-toys, while racing to the scene of another disaster the other toddler has caused?

I'm sure you are. It's pretty good exercise, really...I've never been in better shape!

What a day. I'd rather be at my office than experience quite this much "joy and craziness" in one day, thanks!

WOW! I have been lurking around your site for a while and was wondering how you didn't have MORE days like this with your blessed little litter. BUT, HOLY COW and THANK GOD every day isn't quite challenging. Days like this are when we have find little grace notes intertwined in our trials. I love yours, i.e. "at least the chair is calm," "at least I know she wasn't faking the stomach ache." Days like this are when we get BONUS points with God. We have to, right?

Here's a question for your Sunday post - what consequences happen to your kids when they do things like this? I never had six kids, but I did have three boys and they wouldn't have dreamed of pulling stunts like these. I think the worst mine ever tried was a bit of crayon on the wall and that earned them a whole afternoon of time-out in their room.

I never get this "boys will be boys" way of thinking. Boys can be completely charming and delightful when they know what their limits are.

ONE of those things alone would have been enough to max out my stressometer.... YIKES! Time to tie them up? ;-)

Since I suspect you'll need some recharge time (to numb your mind after the day you've had)... here are some fun websites:www.cafepress.com/buy/minivan/-/cfpt2_/cfpt_674:____D___G______P___b7_a2_________a3/source_searchBox/copt

I am a nanny for two kids, and today the phone was ringing, one had spilled half her lunch on herself, and their two huge dogs were barking and running around the house, when a guy came to the door, selling something. When I realized this, I said "I CAN'T DEAL WITH YOU RIGHT NOW!!!", and slammed the door in the poor guys face. I know I won't see him again.

It's extremely difficult not to laugh hysterically at Clay and his ability to get into everything, I have one that age and while my other 3 are in school it's a daily full time job to keep up with her. I buckle her in her booster at the table when I need a break and give her crayons and paper. At least then I know where she is and I can accomplish a little bit. Otherwise all you do is keep track of her....as I speak I have 2 of them pounding on my arm saying "mommy" I'm gonna change my name.

Wow, sounds like most days at my house. I love your blog, I can totally relate to most of your posts....although I only have three children, 13, 3 and 2. I'm so glad I get to leave my house during the day for work or I'd go crazy, how do you do it?!

How do you stay healthy when one of the kids is always getting sick? I have a sick daughter right now and one is enough...can't imagine more than one sick at the same time!! And then what would happen if mom gets it?? Uggghhhh...Lysol Lysol Lysol...wash hands...wash hands...Hope your sick one feels better soon!!

My 9 yr old had a slight fever at the doctor's office Thursday. The doctor though just had some kind of throat infection, not strep. Friday, the doctor closed there office early, for the end of month. Of course, by the afternoon, he was running a fever of 103+ and very groggy. The on call dr said to treat the fever and if it did not get better by Sunday, or if he seemed worse, take him to the ER.

Monday, I had to nag the doctor's staff to get him in, as they were overbooked. After various tests, bloodwork and chest xrays, we found out he has pneumonia. If he gets worse, they want him admitted to the hospital.

3 others went to the dr today, 2 with bronchitis and one with some sort of a throat infection.

I got to escape and go to work today and I'll make up the rest of my hours for the week tomorrow, as hubby had enough vacation time to stay home with the kids for 2 days this week.

All I have to say is, thank the good Lord Lexi hit the nurse's office with how much you like to clean THAT stuff up! Here's hoping it was just a one-er, and not a bug.I'm going to go have a glass of wine for you!KR

the term "working mother" is really just stupid! who says all that stuff isn't work? i have a job outside of the home that pays well (if i didn't have the job, i'd have no home at all), but sometimes i think it's just a nice break away from the kids... and i only have 2! and i have the added bonus of not having to hire a nurse when they get hurt because guess what? lol I'm already one! here's to you Dawn, i love your blog and can't wait to buy your book!

I'd like to know if the school nurse only opens her office at nap time. It never fails to get everyone settled down, you finally make yourself something to eat, and the phone rings. And you know the school's number is going to pop up on caller ID!

OH MY WORD....Glad to hear we're not alone over here - my kids have been crazy - I felt like Monday I walked in circles thru a path of destruction. And the behavior - oh my - I'm chalking it up to the annual countdown to Christmas - as much as we try and keep it about Jesus' birthday, we can't seem to get away from getting caught up in the hype - my kids just become crazed lunatics this time of year. Hang in there girl!

Ha! That sounds like my typical day. None of my friends believe me. In fact, I just got done recleaning the bathroom after my toddlers decided to help. While I scrubbed crayon "art" off several walls, they wet the roll of tp down (in the toilet) so they could wash the walls and floor with it, then rinsed their hands (also in the toilet). Gotta love being a mommy.